Adaptive Behavior Profiles of Students with Disabilities

ABSTRACT Assessment of adaptive behavior traditionally has been associated with the identification of individuals with mental retardation. Information on adaptive behavior increasingly is being used for comprehensive assessment, treatment planning, intervention, and program evaluation for individuals with various disorders. Data from the normative samples of adaptive behavior measures in the United States provide information on the adaptive skill profiles of individuals with disabilities such as autism, learning disabilities, emotional disturbance, and sensory deficits. This article discusses adaptive behavior profiles of students eligible for special education services due to diagnoses of a specific learning disability, emotional disturbance, specific learning disability in combination with emotional disturbance, and autism disorders. Mean scores and profiles differ for students with these disabilities. Adaptive skill deficits are more severe for those with coexisting and more severe disabilities. Implications are discussed for the use of data from adaptive behavior scales to promote understanding of students with different disabilities and to improve intervention planning.